When the Clock Strikes Thirteen
by Ellipsis the Great
Summary: He’s always up there around this time of day…he says he’s waiting for the clock to strike thirteen. Akuroku. Next Life Fic


_**When the Clock Strikes Thirteen**_

_A One-Shot by Ellipsis the Great_

_**Summary:**__ He's always up there around this time of day…he says he's waiting for the clock to strike thirteen. Akuroku._

_**DISCLAIMER:**__ Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…_

_**Rated:**__ K+_

_**Theme:**__ 87. Circle_

"_I'm still waiting for (something tells me that this is going to make sense) you to be the one I'm waiting for. (Something tells me its going to take patience) I'm still waiting for (something tells me that this will all work out in the end) you to be the one I'm waiting for." –Relient K, 'The One I'm Waiting For'_

"What's that boy doing?"

"Hm?"

Olette looked down at her newest charge, a young orphan by the name of Sky. He had short, messy blond hair that framed a cherubic face, and the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. At the moment they were filled with curiosity, looking up past her at the clock tower. Or, to be more precise, the figure standing on the clock tower.

She followed his gaze and sighed. Even though she couldn't exactly make the figure out, she knew who it was. The bright, fiery red hair was a dead giveaway. And besides…

"That's Lea. He's always up there around this time of day." She said.

"How come?" He asked.

She shook her head derisively, smiling like she was laughing at a private joke. "He says he's waiting for the clock to strike thirteen."

His sandy eyebrows drew together. "But that clock only goes up to twelve." He protested.

"I know. But he always goes, anyhow. No one knows why thirteen is so important to him…we just leave him alone."

Sky hummed softly to himself, eyes never leaving the solitary figure on the tower.

"Well, come on." She said, patting his head and giving him a gentle smile. "Time to go inside, Sky."

The quiet boy nodded, finally tearing his eyes away so that he could give her a sweet smile of his own.

x.X.x.X.x

"What happens when the clock strikes thirteen?"

Lea jumped, startled, and had to catch himself on one of the pillars so he wouldn't go falling off the tower. He scowled; most people knew not to disturb him while he was up here.

"Screw you. It'll happen one day." He snapped. He was so sick and tired of people making fun of him for something he couldn't explain. All he knew was that one day…one day the clock would strike thirteen, and somewhere deep in his heart he knew that on that day, everything would be alright. He didn't know what that meant, or how he knew…it was just one of those things he had come to accept, like he accepted that the sky was blue and the grass was green.

"But what'll happen on that day?"

He started again, turning to face the inquirer. The boy was looking up at him (Lea was quite tall for an eight year old, and the boy was quite short for…whatever age he was) with impossibly wide eyes that were an eerie shade of pure blue.

He pursed his lips together. "Don't make fun of me! I know it's stupid!" He growled.

"I didn't say that." The boy said. "And I didn't make fun of you. I just wanna know: what'll happen when the clock strikes thirteen?"

He stared. No one had ever asked him that before, not really—no one had ever wanted to know why he stayed up here.

"I…I'm not sure." He said softly.

"Are you waiting for someone?"

_-Let's meet again-_

"I…I think so."

_-In the next life-_

The boy nodded. He was very serious, Lea thought, too serious for someone his age. But he was so familiar, too…

The boy smiled (God, that smile!) and offered him a hand.

_-Yeah -_

"My name's Sky."

_-I'll be waiting-_

Hesitantly, Lea smiled back and shook his hand.

-_Silly-_

"I'm Lea."

_-Just because you'll have a next life-_

Without saying anything else, Sky sat down on the edge of the tower.

"What're you doing?" Lea asked, thought he was sitting even as he asked.

Sky shrugged, kicking his legs idly as the clock began to play the Westminster Quarters (1). "I'm waiting with you."

Lea shook his head, a grin tugging at the edge of his lips.

"I don't…think I have to wait anymore."

_-He was the only one I liked-_

They smiled at each other.

_-He made me feel like I had a heart-_

The clock struck thirteen.

The End.

_(1) The Westminster Quarters is the most common name for a melody used by a set of clock bells to strike the hour. It is also known as the Westminster Chimes, or the Cambridge Chimes from its place of origin._


End file.
